By suspending him the next morning, NASCAR sent a message it was in charge and Busch better start behaving.

Gordon's decision to wreck Bowyer - he says Bowyer deserved it for a season's worth of misdeeds - is more like the Edwards incident. Or perhaps more like another incident last season, when Brian Vickers promised retaliation against Matt Kenseth and then rode Kenseth's back bumper until Kenseth turned into the wall. Vickers got no penalty.

Gordon, however, seemed to have zero regard for others on the track. The wreck also collected Joey Logano and Aric Almirola, championship contender Keselowski had to dodge his way around it and the whole thing was a direct contributor to the last-lap wreck.

NASCAR needed to take action against the crew chiefs, and did by fining Brian Pattie $25,000 for failing to maintain control of Bowyer's crew and placing Alan Gustafson on probation through the end of the year because he's responsible for Gordon's crew.

With that, NASCAR was done with the matter.

"There's no doubt that a unique set of circumstances combined with a championship battle on the line resulted in raw emotions coming into play," said NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton. "We consider the penalties appropriate and those involved understand our decision and we expect them to abide by them."

It was the appropriate response from NASCAR. Either the series is going to be about immediate paybacks and justice - you know, the stuff that's got everybody talking and moves the meter - or there's no such thing as "Boys, Have At It" anymore.